Radical Femmes
The Radical Femmes are a women-only raider group active in the ruins of the Bronx. History For roughly a decade, from its founding until its destruction, the National Pleasure League made the residents of the Bronx a living hell. When the Federal Republic of Libeteria bombed the Pleasure Palace in 2235, killing one it its leaders, the NPL fractured and ceased to continue to exist, but the impact that the group had on the area, and the people living there, would continue to be felt for decades and is still being felt to this day. One such individual whose life was made torturous during the years the group was in power was Dahlia Swann. Just a young girl, she was abducted and made a sex slave for Coyote, one of the group’s three leaders. For almost a decade, she was beaten, raped, and mistreated on a daily basis. She was a teenager when the group was destroyed, and like the other children and young adults that the group held captive, was taken in by the Libeterian government. Swann eventually found herself enlisted in the federal army. While she was never able to get completely past all of the pain and abuse she was put through, the discipline and self-control she learned in the army gave her the tools to put the ordeal behind her. She imagined her army career long and decorated, but fate had other plans. While working as a prison guard at The Claw, a fellow Libeterian soldier came on to her. She made no big deal out of it initially, but the man did not stop and became a repeated nuisance. She reported him to her superiors, but nothing was done. The situation eventually escalated, and during a graveyard shift, the man became inebriated and attempted to force himself on Swann. Triggered, with unpleasant memories from her childhood flashing before her eyes, she lashed out, bashing the soldier with her nightstick. The blow caused him to stagger back and fall down a flight of stairs, putting him in critical condition. Swann was put under arrest and put on trial to be court-martialed. Sympathetic friends helped her stage a breakout of the prison facility before the process could begin. She was able to escape the facility, crossing the Hudson into the ruins of Manhattan, and then the East River into the ruins of the Bronx. She did not have an end goal in mind, but because she was “raised” in the Bronx, it was the place that she knew best. Libeteria did not have much of a presence in the area, and while she loathed to be reminded of her past, it represented her best bet to escape the long arm of their law. Swann lived a low-key life in the area until 2263, when the Machinists launched their invasion of the Bronx. Applying the skills that she learned as a soldier, she did what she could to repel the robots. While the machines did not discriminate based on sex, women generally were more victimized than men. Realizing this, Swann committed herself to being the “guardian angel” that these women needed. Clearing out an abandoned school in the Parkchester neighborhood of the Bronx, she began a one-woman crusade against those that would commit violence against women. She freed slaves and took them in. She offered those that were in abusive relationships a place to escape to. She took orphans and urchins off the street and gave them a safe and stable place to live. In addition to providing a safe space and new home, Swann began teaching and improving upon the survival skills and knowledge that these women possessed. As the years went on, these boot camps resulting in these “radical femmes” having a veritable militia of women trained in martial arts, handguns, and long arms. With more and better trained followers, Swann began organizing proactive raids and attacks on slavers and raiders. Activities & Interests First and foremost, the Radical Femmes are dedicated to eradicating the lingering presence of the National Pleasure League in the ruins of the Bronx. While the organization and most of its leaders were destroyed in 2235, there were many survivors. While some of these offshoot groups did not share the mantra and philosophy of the NPL, such as Bob’s Wreckers, most did. These slavers, rapists, and maniacs remained emboldened following the destruction of the NPL as a cohesive group and continue business as usual. The Radical Femmes consider themselves enemies of each and every National Pleasure League remnant group and hope to eradicate each and every member of these groups. To a lesser degree, Dahlia Swann considers men her enemy, and would eliminate every single man from the face of the earth if she had the ability to. While the abuse that she suffered at the hands of the National Pleasure League was perpetrated by them alone, the rest of the world was silent. When she was mistreated at the hands of a colleague, the rest of her colleagues were silent. In her mind, men will always protect other men, and the only way to eliminate such patriarchal actions is to eliminate them entirely. Most other members of the Radical Femmes do not have as extreme views as Swann, but this has not stopped her from doing her best to convince them that her beliefs on the matter are true. Membership Membership in the Radical Femmes is limited to just women. Notable Members Dahlia Swann Helen Cunningham Ruby-Leigh Barlow Eva Mendez Rose McKinley Relationships Radical Femmes oppose National Pleasure League remnant groups at any opportunity they get. Their enmity takes the form of chance attacks to preplanned raids on NPL remnant groups. Category:Groups Category:Raiders Category:New York